Raf’s Mom makes this dish for us nearly every time we visit, but this was the first time she made it with Zucchini (she normally makes it with bell peppers or tomatoes) and it was by far my favorite. This is a dish that Raf’s maternal grandmother used to make and she passed the recipe along to her daughter who in turn has passed it along to me. The original recipe called for white rice and ground Lamb, but Raf’s mom modified it into a much healthier but equally as delicious vegan dish. She normally eyeballs most of her recipes, so there is a lot of room to play around with amounts to satisfy your particular tastes. If you have any left over filling after stuffing the zucchini, and you probably will, you can just cook it for 10 mins and eat it separately, or use it to stuff a pepper or tomato if you have any.

When I made the dish, I had some left over white rice that I used in place of the brown and I only had dried parsley on hand so I used a couple tablespoons of that (if you have fresh, definitely use that, it makes a big difference, but it’s still yummy either way).

Directions:
The easiest way to prepare the zucchini is to cut them in half and scoop out the center of each half and set aside (but if you want to get fancy and do it the way Raf’s mom does it, you can cut the stem end off and scoop out the inner flesh using a zucchini corer). Cook the rice and quinoa separately. Cook the spilt peas with a little bit of salt. Drain the water, set aside.
Sauté the onions and garlic for two mins, add garlic chili sauce and the scooped out zucchini flesh and sauté for another min. If you are using tofu you can add it to the onion mixture and fry them for few more mins. Add your herbs and the rest of the ingredients, mix them well and turn off the heat.
Spoon stuffing into the center of zucchini halves.

Mix together all the sauce ingredients and pour them into a 9×13 baking dish to cover the bottom of the dish. Place the zucchini halves in the baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for an hour or until the zucchini is tender. You may need to add some water to your sauce while baking.

Our friend Erika is something of a health foodie. She’s awesome and for as long as we have known her she has made a big ‘ol bowl of oats for breakfast that leaves the whole kitchen smelling divine. Her base of oats, peanut butter and banana pretty much always stays the same, but then she adds all kinds of delightful ingredients that really takes oatmeal to the next level. It’s hearty, delicious, super nutritious and sure to pack an energy punch that will keep you going for hours. Not to mention, these oats are also a great galactagogue food for all the breastfeeding mamas out there! I begged one of her main go-to recipes off her and was surprised to discover that it’s actually incredibly quick and easy to make. Tasty? Check. Healthy? Check. Easy? Check. Toddler approved? Double check. What’s not to love about that?

Serving size: 1

Ingredients:

– 1 cup of unsweetened plain almond milk

– 2 tbsp water

– 1/2 – 1 whole apple, peeled and diced

– 1/8 cup raisins

– Cinnamon, to taste

– 1/2 cup oats

– 1 tbsp chia seeds

– 1 banana, chopped

– 1 tbsp peanut butter

Directions:

Put the almond milk, water, apple, raisins and cinnamon into a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Then add the oats and turn the heat to low and let simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add the chia seeds, banana and peanut butter, mix well and let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add a bit more almond milk to give it a really creamy texture.

Optional Toppings:

Sunflower seeds

Pumpkin seeds

Variations:

Sub out the apples and raisins for any other fruit combo you want. Peaches and shredded coconut perhaps? Pureed pumpkin, with almond butter (instead of peanut butter) and pumpkin pie spice for a delicious fall breakfast. Berries, coca powder, dried cranberries, topped with chocolate chips anyone? Just get creative people!

This recipe is straight out of my childhood. It’s a crowd-pleaser and a potluck go to. This is the perfect summer time cook out dish. My mom made this quite a lot when we were kids and a while back I pleaded the recipe off her and now I share it with you. It’s so good. Eating it instantly brings me back to hot summer days at the beach while being buffeted by salty ocean breezes. This is a definite staple in our house because it is just so delicious!

A great thing about this recipe is that you can really play with it and make it your own.

I usually add an extra 16 oz can of vegetarian baked beans as well as a 16 oz can of black beans just to give it more bulk and to add another color. You can also adjust the ketchup and mustard amounts depending on whether you prefer it on the sweet or savory side. I have even been known to substitute the brown sugar for molasses or just to omit it all together.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brown the onions with a bit of olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Once the onions are ready, add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour.

When it comes to durian, the pungent aroma is the main barrier to loving this sweet custard flavored fruit. And let me tell you it is a HUGE barrier. It does not smell good. Not at all. But it really is the perfect vehicle for homemade raw vegan ice cream. It doesn’t melt the same way frozen banana ice cream does and it is SUPER creamy.

For this recipe I decided on a twist on the classic Cherry Garcia flavor, mainly because mixed berries were what I had on hand. This is a great treat for toddlers, because they totally think they’re eating something indulgent when it’s really just fruit.

If you don’t live somewhere tropical where you can get fresh durian and jack fruit, you can find them frozen at most asian grocery stores. I got mine at H-Mart.

Ingredients:

1 pound (about 2-3 cups) of frozen durian, chopped (seedless is easiest, but any will do)

1/2 cup frozen mixed berries

2 frozen jackfruit pods, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

1 tsp vanilla flavor (I used Trader Joes’ alchohol free)

1/4 cup of carob chips

Directions:

Allow all the frozen fruit to sit out for a bit until it thaws just slightly and is a little soft (this makes blending so much easier). Blend all the ingredients except the carob chips in a food processor until creamy and smooth. Add the carob chips and pulse until they are chopped up a bit and mixed throughout. Serve and enjoy immediately!

Durian ice cream is great for experimenting with ingredients and flavors. Next time, I’m definitely going to make a mint chocolate chip using fresh mint, YUM!

Side note: Be sure to throw out the durian wrappers ASAP or your whole house will smell like the stuff. I made the mistake of taking a nap before properly disposing of the packaging in a sealed bag and I woke up to the smell and it was STRONG. Oh well, nothing a scented candle can’t fix!

This soup is so creamy and decadent, yet packed with nutrients, you’ll never believe it’s good for you! The hemp seeds and the cashew meal give this soup it’s creamy texture, which combined with the delicious flavor will be sure to make your taste buds sing! Plus it’s SUPER easy to make.

Saute until tender:

1 Onion

3 cloves garlic

1 head broccoli

3 stalks celery

4 mini yellow peppers or 1 large one

1 tbsp earth balance (or olive oil)

ADD and bring to a boil:

4 cups water + 2 tsp veggie bouillon OR 4 cups veggie broth

1/2 cup Nutritional yeast

1/2 cup Hemp seeds

1/4 cup cashew meal

1 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Simmer for 15 minutes then blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a baking dish and line with parchment paper (make sure the parchment paper is hanging over the sides, so you can lift the bars out easily). Beat the the earth balance, brown sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon until well combined, then mix in the flour using a spoon until well mixed. Press the mixture into your baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.

Put the dried figs, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let the figs simmer for 20 minutes until they are soft and the liquid has reduced. Place the mixture in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Spread the fig mixture over the shortbread base and bake for 12 minutes. Allow to cool completely, then lift out and cut into squares.

I found this recipe on Oh She Glows and let me tell you, it is a keeper! I LOVED quiche and I must say that it was something I was a bit sad to see go once I adopted this plant based diet, but not anymore! This quiche tastes so delicious, I’m convinced no one would be able to tell the difference. I only very slightly altered Angela’s original recipe depending on what I had on hand. My version is below, but if you should definitely check out her version, because I can only imagine that it’s even better! The crust is so rustic and nutty, it perfectly compliments the delectable quiche filling. I’m so looking forward to experimenting with different renditions of this quiche!

Ingredients:

FOR THE CRUST:

1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water, mixed together

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup ground walnuts

1 cup rolled oats, ground into flour

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2.5 tbsp water, as needed

FOR THE QUICHE:

1 block (14-oz) firm tofu

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 leek or yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

3 cups (8-oz) sliced cremini mushrooms

1/2 cup fresh green onions or chives, finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped

1/3 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped

1 cup baby spinach

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4-1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Black pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly grease a round 10-inch tart pan. Alternatively, you can use a 9-inch glass pie dish if desired.

Wrap rinsed tofu in a few tea towels. Place a few books on top of it to lightly press out the water while you prepare the crust.

For the crust: Whisk together flax and water mixture in a small bowl and set aside so it can gel up.

In a large bowl, stir together the almond meal, oat flour (or buckwheat flour), parsley, oregano, and salt.

Add in the flax mixture and oil. Stir until mostly combined, adding the remaining water until the dough is sticky (about the consistency of cookie dough). The dough should stick together when you press it between your fingers.

Crumble the dough evenly over the base of the tart pan (or pie dish). Starting from the center of the pan, press the mixture evenly into the pan, working your way outward and up the sides of the pan. Poke a few fork holes in the dough so air can escape.

Bake the crust at 350F for 13-16 minutes, or until lightly golden and firm to touch. Set aside to cool while you finish preparing the filling. Increase oven temperature to 375F.

For the filling: Break apart the tofu block into 4 pieces and add into food processor. Process the tofu until smooth and creamy. If it doesn’t get creamy, add a tiny splash of almond milk to help it along.

In a skillet, add oil and saute the onion and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, season with salt, and cook on medium-high heat until most of the water cooks off the mushrooms, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in the green onions, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, nutritional yeast, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes until combined. Cook until the spinach is wilted.

Finally, remove from heat and stir in the processed tofu until thoroughly combined. Adjust seasoning to taste if desired. Spoon mixture into baked crust and smooth out with a spoon until even.

Bake quiche, uncovered, at 375F for 33-37 minutes, until the quiche is firm to the touch. For best results, cool the quiche for 15-20 minutes on a cooling rack before attempting to slice. The crust may crumble slightly when sliced warm, but not to worry.

Wrap up leftovers and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Leftover quiche can be reheated in the oven on a baking sheet for about 15-20 minutes at 350F.

After a long day with a less than pleasant small human, I needed to whip something up quickly for dinner. So I took to the refrigerator and started throwing things into my tiny (almost broken, on its last legs) food processor and this is what I came up with. Luckily, I had a sense that this dish would be a keeper so I kept track of the measurements and amounts along the way in the hopes that one day I may be able to recreate these delicious muffins. They are packed with veggies, and oh so good, while being good for you. That’s a win-win in my book!

Ingredients:

4 portobello mushroom caps

1 cup walnuts

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

3 celery stalks

1 onion

1 large garlic clove

7 sun dried tomatoes (the kind found in oil)

1/3 cup fresh basil – finely chopped

1 tsp tarragon

1 tsp sage

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 pinch of cayenne pepper

1 pinch of cumin powder

1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (with extra on hand)

French fried onions – optional

Directions:

Chop the portobello mushrooms and then mince them in a food processor until they reach a finely chopped, almost paste like consistency. Move the mushroom paste to a large mixing bowl. Place the walnuts and nutritional yeast in the food processor and once they are finely chopped add them to the mushroom paste.

Finely chop the onion, celery, garlic and sun dried tomatoes in a food processor. Saute this mixture with some olive oil over medium high heat. Add the tarragon, sage, oregano, cumin, cayenne and salt. Once the vegetables are tender add them to the bowl containing the mushroom and walnut mixture and mix together well. Add the bread crumbs and continue to mix until well combined. The mixture should be sticking together and becoming quite thick and mold-able, if you find that it’s still too wet add more bread crumbs until you reach the desired consistency. Stir in crumbled french fried onions if you wish.

Scoop the mixture into well greased muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Note: These would be particularly nice with a vegetable gravy.

Enjoy!

*Note: These make great left overs. You can reheat them or even put them in a sandwich. I definitely think I’ll be adding these to my Thanksgiving line up. So good!*

*Any in case any of you are wondering, that gorgeous platter that the loaf muffins are on is by Mottahedeh.*

When we were in Texas for Thanksgiving with Raf’s family, his aunt Minoo made these delicious veggie cutlets (or kotlets if you’re Persian). They were so good and had such a nice texture that I had to ask several times if she was sure there wasn’t any meat in them. Well she generously shared her recipe with me and I finally got around to making them. Mine didn’t turn out quite as good as hers did but that’s probably because I was a bit liberal with my proportions, nonetheless they were still a hit. Some of the ingredients may be a bit tricky to track down, but I was able to find everything I needed at my local Asian super market. This recipe isn’t hard to make but there are a few food prep steps involved so a food processor will be your best friend.

Sautee the garlic and ginger pastes in a skillet with a bit of olive oil. Add the mashed potato, carrot, mashed peas and cabbage and stir fry until soft. Add the mango powder, chaat masala, chili and chick pea flour and stir until combined. Stir in the ground nuts and add the salt and pepper. Allow the mixture the cook for a few minutes stirring gently (it will have a very thick consistency). Remove the mixture from heat and allow to cool, until it is safe to handle with bare hands.

Once the mixture has cooled, scoop out small amounts and shape into oval patties. You can either fry or bake the patties.

Frying: Heat olive oil in a skillet, and cook patties on medium heat (turning often) until they are golden brown.

Baking: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, place patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes. Make sure to flip the patties half way through.

I’m just going to come right out and tell you that this cake is sugar free, dairy free, gluten free, soy free, paleo and vegan. I know, I know, you’re thinking, ‘how can it possibly taste good?!’ But trust me, this cake is absolutely delicious and tastes completely decadent.

Rafaan and I don’t give Asher any sugar but I always thought he’d have his first sugary treat on his birthday, however Raf thought it wasn’t necessary and that Asher wouldn’t even miss it and I must say I had to agree. I still wanted him to have a birthday cake though, so I set out trying to find a recipe that was sugar free AND vegan. Well, I came across this sugar free cake recipe and this icing recipe (both of which are by Lea at Paleo Spirit) which I then tweaked a bit to make vegan and to suit my palate. It wasn’t my intention to have the cake be gluten free, soy free or paleo, but I really like that it is, because I’m happy knowing that pretty much anyone and everyone can eat this cake, no matter their dietary restrictions.

I was so proud of this cake and I was so excited to watch Asher gobble it up and get his face covered in chocolate, but alas the poor guy wasn’t feeling up to it. I stupidly scheduled his 12 month check up on his actual birthday and he had two vaccines and a hemoglobin test, which required a finger prick, so he wasn’t feeling well and only took a few bites (he did gobble it up the next day though). Raf and I, loved it! Raf, being the sweetie that he is, even raved that I should open up a bakery. The cake had a dense, rich, slightly fudge like consistency and had just the right amount of sweetness. The coolest part though, was the icing. I mean, come on, chocolate icing made out of avocado sounds too good to be true, but it was incredible! It was rich and creamy and oh so delicious. Every once in a while I could taste a hint of avocado (although Raf couldn’t), which may have been due to the fact that I knew it was there or perhaps I didn’t mix it enough, but otherwise it tasted exactly like rich chocolate icing. I used 1/2 a cup of maple syrup, but next time I think I’ll try using less. I suggest not telling people what the icing is made out of and then shocking them once they try it. They will not believe the truth because it’s that good!

I just love how guilt free and healthy this cake is!

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

10 medjool dates, pitted & chopped

1 cup of unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 bananas, mashed

1/2 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

Cardamom to taste (optional) – in my experience, less is more when it comes to cardamom, I used about 1/4 teaspoon

Instructions

Put the dates, apple sauce and bananas in a food processor and puree until smooth.

Move the banana, applesauce and date mixture to a large mixing bowl , add the vanilla extract, coconut oil and coffee and mix with a hand mixer until well combined.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on a low speed, until smooth.

Grease a 9 inch round cake pan with coconut oil and cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

Pour the batter into the greased pan and smooth it out.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester (or fork) comes out clean when stuck into the middle.

Allow the cake to cool before turning over onto a flat surface.

———-

Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:

1 perfectly ripe avocado, chopped (I used organic)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 – 1/2 cup maple syrup, depending on how sweet you want it

Vanilla extract to taste

Instructions:

Place all three ingredients in a food processor and mix together, stopping to scrape down the sides whenever necessary. Spread immediately or refrigerate for later use (I spread it immediately).

Place cashews (I used about 3/4 cup and had plenty left over) in a food processor and process into a fine powder, with the processor still running slowly add water until you get a smooth creamy consistency (you don’t want it to be too runny). Finally add the cardamom sparingly and mix until evenly distributed throughout. Place your icing in a piping bag (or you could use a zip lock bag with a tiny hole cut into a corner like I did) and decorate your cake as desired.